Purple yam or ube as it is called in the Philippines is one of my favorite flavors ever. Ube lends itself to a wide variety of delectable cakes and desserts such as ube macapuno cake, rice cakes, candies, milk shakes and even ice cream. Purple yam also has such a pretty color! So quite in sync with this year's fashionable pantone color Radiant Orchid.

Ube or purple yam jam (love how that sounds!), the star ingredient in this recipe is readily available in Asian specialty stores.


PURPLE YAM JAM CUPCAKE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• Vanilla cupcake base
• Bottled purple yam/ube jam
• Purple yam/ube flavored coloring
• White sprinkles

Vanilla cupcake base

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 stick butter, room temp
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk

• 1 stick butter
• 1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• Ube flavored coloring
• Ube jam (1/2 tsp per cupcake)
• Sprinkles

1. Cream butter and add confectioner's sugar. Add ube flavoring and/or purple food color.

2. Pipe a dollop of ube jam in the middle.

3. Spread or pipe ube buttercream on the cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles.